All Roses Have Thorns
by Beater with a Brain
Summary: After Dumbledore's funeral, when Harry breaks up with Ginny, Neville ponders his own love for the girl and comes to a hard decision. Oneshot, Harry/Ginny, unrequited Neville/Ginny


All Roses Have Thorns

When I was 12, I met the most wonderful girl in the world. She was my friend's little sister, but she was so much more than that. She was smart and funny and really nice. I had met other girls like that of course, but she was different. There was just something about her that was unique, something that stood out from the rest. Her pockets were always empty but her smile was always full. She had soft, pale white skin and silky, flaming red hair. She was so pretty and innocent. Her name was Ginny Weasley, and she became my rose.

In May, Ginny was taken down into the Chamber of Secrets. I cried and prayed that by some miracle, she would be all right. And Harry saved her. And she seemed even more delicate than before. And I knew I had to help protect her. That's when I made my promise. No matter what, I would always be there for her.

In my fourth year, the Yule Ball was held. At first I asked Hermione because it was supposed to be only fourth years and over, but she already had a date. She told me I should ask Ginny, that they would let her go if she had a date. So I went with Ginny. She looked so beautiful. We danced and talked for hours and I was the last one back to the dorm.

In fifth year, Ginny's fourth year, a change seemed to come over her. She was tired of being cast aside and overlooked. She was tired of being thought of as the littlest Weasley, standing in the shadows of her six brothers.

Bill was one of the smartest students Hogwarts had ever seen, had been Head Boy, and was quite the ladies' man. Charlie had been Quidditch captain and good enough to play for England if he had wanted to, but instead risked life and limb every day working with dragons. Percy had been Head Boy two years previously, worked for the Ministry, and was not talking to the family. Fred and George had a well-earned reputation for being troublemakers, which escalated infinitely when they dropped out of school and opened a joke shop, which did quite well and made them the sole Weasleys with the money pureblood families are supposed to be famous for having.

Then there was Ron. He thought that others thought he was nothing. But he was just comparing himself to Harry. Actually he was the best of them all. He was famous around school. He was the new Quidditch keeper, a prefect, and known for helping Harry saved the world. His status was also raised by the fact that Harry was getting a lot of bad publicity.

And Ginny. What was she? Just a little kid. Just a poor Weasley. Just Harry Potter's best friend's sister. Just Ginny. She thought nobody paid any attention to her.

But I did.

So during her fourth and fifth year, my fifth and sixth, she became more rambunctious. She took more risks. She started dating like crazy. She joined the Quidditch team. And when Harry went to the Department of Mysteries that night, Ginny went too, to help him. And I went because I remembered the Chamber of Secrets, and I knew I had to help protect her. And all of this I could handle.

But when she started dating Harry, it was a huge thorn on my side. Partially because I cared for her so much and she cared so much for Harry. Partially because Harry was my friend. Partially because Ron approved of it. But mostly because Harry's life was so dangerous, and she had already seen so much danger in hers.

And then last week, the Death Eaters attacked the school. And I realized that even though she was Harry's girl, I could still keep my promise. I fought. I did all I could to protect her. And she came out unharmed. But Dumbledore didn't.

Today was his funeral. A few seats down from me, she cried on Harry's shoulder. But he realized what I had months ago. His life was too dangerous for her. So he let her go. She came to me and told me what had happened and she cried on my shoulder.

And now I'm standing here waiting for Harry. I know he's going to come in here, and when he does I'm going to convince him to take her back. I'm going to make him see that by letting her go, he's only hurting her and hurting himself and it will hurt worse than losing Sirius and Dumbledore combined. I'm going to remind him that the reason he is losing her is that he loves her more than life itself, and that with a love that strong, nothing else should matter.

She didn't ask me to do this. I'm doing this because I realized something today, while Ginny Weasley cried in my arms. All roses have thorns. Ginny is my rose and Harry is my thorn. And I can either weep because roses have thorns, or I can rejoice because thorns have roses.


End file.
